Atop Clouds and Under Water

I have an insatiable desire to sit on a cloud, right at this very moment. From my window there is a view of a tauntingly plush smattering of clouds. Goodness, how I would love to get up on one of them and lie down on it. Can you imagine- basking in the comfort of unobstructed sunlight? 'Twould be fantastic.

I have another idea. Could you think of much else better than swimming in deep, blue water, without the inhibition of not being able to breathe? I become way too excited when I think of this. I picture a dark blue, endless ocean of water- fresh- cool- unpolluted. And then I picture myself, elated, tumbling about- breathing- underwater. Free. Honestly, in my own eyes, this thought embodies one of the many heights of physical freedom.

What impossible things do you imagine on warm, cricket-chirping, white cloud-ridden days?

On Books and Words and Things.

Oh, the power of words! Who among us has not read a book, novel, or excerpt that has thrilled our hearts right to the very core on account of the delightful twists and turns of words, or the perfection of a description? Do answer. If you are one of those poor people who have never been spine-tingled by the words of a book, let me recommend to you The Great Gatsby. F Scott Fitzgerald is a linguistic illusionist; able to say beautifully what may often be simply devastating or tragic. Here is a small example of this deliciousness;

“There must have been moments even that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams -- not through her own fault, but because of the colossal vitality of his illusion. It had gone beyond her, beyond everything. He had thrown himself into it with a creative passion, adding to it all the time, decking it out with every bright feather that drifted his way. No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man will store up in his ghostly heart.”

Isn't it just glorious? I like to re-read segments such as this one and just drink in the darkly gorgeous aura of it all.

Description and clever turn of phrase can do much to turn what might be a bare, uninviting statement of fact into a quite attractive paragraph. This is an example of my own composition; what could be said as this, 'Estella and Mr. Carmody had a face-off and made all the guests feel uncomfortable before she told him to go.', could be said more aptly, and in a vastly more beautiful way, like this, 'The veil of timid wistfulness melted off Estella's eyes as Mr. Carmody met her gaze. All other eyes in the room were compelled to examine the carpet as the stare threatened to become audible. The company had never beheld Estella in such a way before and this unanticipated intrusion on the night's activities filled the room with a cumbersome- even oppressive- expectancy. Not one of the guests had known that this part of Estella had existed, and yet here she was; once perceived as delicate of stature and mind, now confronting and unnapproachable. None knew how to react; none wanted to. Silence held. The textures and patterns of the carpet intrigued all the more as a hundred ears pleaded for a sound. Finally, Estella's mouth opened and her voice, proud and deep, commanded, "Go."'

See? Words. Words. Words. I love them for this reason; that when used correctly by the author, they can invoke such feelings as could not have been felt otherwise.

You Become What You Behold

Have you noticed this like I have? Whether I love someone or hate them, I gradually aquire a few of their characteristics, mannerisms and attitudes over time if I am around them enough or watching them often. Sometimes, you do not even need to see who you are 'beholding'. Even thinking consistently about someone for long can change you.

I have an aquaintance who recently fell in love with a girl and they are now dating. He respects and cherishes her very much and has found, to his amusement, that he now says things that were previously only said by her and even waves goodbye like her. It was his consistent meetings with and thoughts of this girl that made him similar to her in these small ways. There are other instances when we are impacted by others and it is not to our good. Sometimes it is even our fault how they impact us. Robert Boyle, an Irish scientist who lived in the fifteenth century once, as a young man, teased a boy about his hopeless stutter. ' P-p-p-poor b-b-boy can't sp-sp-speak prop-p-perly!' he would taunt, and this teasing became second nature until stuttering became his first. It took him years to stop the habit. He learned a lesson as a boy that he would act on for the rest of his life. You become what you behold, whether you wish to or not.

Of course I do not mean literally. I do not mean that if you beheld a cat for long enough, that you would become a cat. I do not mean that you aquire physical characteristics, I mean that you aquire mannerisms, attitudes and character traits of all you have beheld. And since you have beheld everyone you have ever known, they will impact you, however positively or negatively.

Who do you behold? Who are you becoming? Who do you want to be? Who should you behold to help you accomplish that?